Typewriting machine



Jan. 14, 1930. J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRITING MACHINE ile June 1925 3 sheets-sheet- 1 A ffa/w V Jan. 14, 1930. SMITH 7 1,743,869

TYPEWRUYIITING MACHINE Filed June25, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i] go/ Af/ar J. (A. B. SMITH 1,743,3 9

TYPEWRITING MACHINE 1 Filed June 23., 1925 s Sheets-$heet 5 Awe/272w Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JESSE A. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 UNDERWOOID ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TYPEWBITING- MACHINE Application filed June 23, 1925. Serial No. 38,958.

v This invention relates. generally to improvements in web-manifolding machines of the character disclosed in the \Vernery & Smith Patent No. 1,132,055, dated March 16, 1915. It relates more particularly to the method and means for simultaneously producing separate typed forms and a recordweb typed with the same data as the forms, which is directly accessible at all points along its length to expose said data, the means to this result including among other devices a novel guide for the record-web so arranged as to cause the refolding of said record-web into a book or folded stack subsequently to the typing operation.

In practicing my invention, a multipleply web, having successive printedbill-forms, is fed with interleaved carbon-sheets around the platen. The work-web is cross-folded back and forth, so as to form a pack, and is usually led from a bin at the back of the machine and upwardly over the rear end of the usual carriage-extension, whence it passes forwardly to and around the platen and upwardly at its front, under a knife, and up over the delivery table. I

There is provided a cross-folded recordweb which is fed into the machine with the main work-web. This record-web may be a separate ply or may be the top ply of the main work-web severed from the latter by a knife in the rear of the platen, and, instead of feeding upwardly in front of the delivery table with the other work-web, is conducted behind said table, and then led rearwardly over said rear carriage-extension. In some cases, the record-web is caused to feed downwardly from the rear end of said extension to a refolding receptacle, the latter being positioned with respect to said rear end so that said web-ply is automatically refolded back andkforth into it byvgravity, forming a new ac The transverse folds in the record-web are sometimes spaced two or three bill-lengths apart. In such case, to prevent the entering portion of the main work-web from colliding or interfering with the refolding portion'of the record-ply, it is a feature of my invention to provide a guide-member positioned to the rear of said rear extension and supported thereon for controlling the refolding of the record-ply to keepthe latter from striking against the main work-web as the record-ply swings back and forth in being refolded. This construction also prevents the refolding record-ply from binding on the main work-web where the latter passes over the rear end of said extension. The typed whole record-web .dangles from the traveling carriage of the typewriter, the dangling portion being sufficiently long to permit it to sway with the carriage at its upper portion while its lower portion lies still in the refolding receptacle, and without danger of fouling or wrinkling said web.

In typing the fan-folded web, the recordsheet, that is to say, the ply nearest the platen, is slitted from the other plies by means of a knife mounted upon the carboncarrier. The separated record-ply is passed behind the delivery table, the other plies of the web being led over the front of said table in the regular manner. The recordply is then held at the rear of the table by means of a clamp, which may be controlled simultaneously with the releasing of the platen-frame preparatory to straightening out the web to strip the carbons therefrom.

The usual heading is not necessary on the record-web, which may have only spaces corresponding to the item-sections of the statement-sheet-web, thus making the record-web spaces relatively short, and consequently necessitating successive readjust-merits betweenthe statement-sheet-web and the record-sheet for the' various statements typed. To facilitate positioning of the record-sheet after the last entry has been typed, the record-sheet may extend slightly beyond one edge of the statement-sheet, and the record-sheet may be provided at its side edge with indices to indicate the top edge of each succeeding section of the record-sheet.

Other features and advantageswill hereinafter vappear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of an Underwood fan-fold typewriting machine,

as applied to the handling of work which forms the subject of this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the recordweb guiding member which is attached to the rear extension of the machine as a subextension thereof.

Figure 3 is a side view in elevation of the platen of the machine, showing the workweb in front of the table in typing position, the record-web being shown behind the table in cooperatingposition with a binding clamp.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the fanfolded and cross-folded web having identifying numerals printed thereon.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the carbon-carrier, showing the slitting knife for separating the record-ply of the web from its associated statement-plies.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side view in elegation showing the gaging position of the we Figure 7 is a diagrammatic side view in elevation showing the straightened web in the carbon-stripping operation.

Figure 8 is a modified form of the invention, in which, for the purpose of economizing paper, and to further condense. the record-web, the same is fed to the machine from a separated container, the lengths of the cross-folds of the web corresponding to the length of the typed portion of the forms.

Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views, re-

. spectively, of the fan-folded statement-web and the cross-folded record-web, both being correspondingly numbered.

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic side view in elevation, showing the typing position of the statement-web and associated record-web in the modified form.

Figure 12' is a view similar to Figure 11, showing the position of the statement-web and associated record-web previous to the straightening-out operation.

Figure 13 is a view also similar to Figure 11, showing the statement-web in its gaging position.

Figure 14 shows the tearing-off position of the statement-web, the platen being in its feeding position. V

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the platen, showing the statement-web and the record-web corresponding to the position of the statement-web and the record-web illustrated in Figure 11.

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the platen, showing the statement-web and the record-web corresponding to the position of the statement-web and record-web illustrated in Figure 12.

In Figure 1, an Underwood fan-fold typewriting machine 10 is shown placed upon atable 10 An assembled fan-folded and cross-folded web 11 is drawn up from a receptacle or box 12 at the rear of the machine.

The web is passed over a cross-bar 13 on the rear of the usual carriage-extension 13, and is then threaded between carbon-blades 14 having carbons 15 fast thereto, the ends of the web being then matched with the ends of the carbons preparatory to inserting the assembled pack at the rear of a platen 17 down a rear table 16 and forwardly under the platen 17 co-operating with associated feed-rolls 18, and, by rotating the platen, the web is fed up in front thereof past the printing point, which is indicated in Figure 3 by a type-bar 18.

In order that the upper ply of the web, that is to say, the ply nearest the platen may be used as a separate continuous record-web, there is provided a slitting knife 19, which may be secured to the carbon-carrier 20, as shown in Figure 5. The knife presents a beveled cutting edge 21 to the border of the web, and is interleaved between the upper ply and the next ply in a manner to separate the plies as the carbons are moved relatively to the web. It can be seen that for the purpose of the invention, the record-web may be a separate ply or web cross-folded with the statement-web to form a single transverselyfan-folded work-web. Thus, the fan-folded web and the record-web 22 are fed around the platen in a separated condition, so that, on being delivered at the top of the platen past the printing point, the record-web may be led behind a table 23 and over a clamping member 24 which co-operates with the table to clamp the record-web. The other lies of the assembled web are passed over tie table in the regular manner in the direction of a gage 25 adjustably mounted upon an ex: tension 26 on the table 23 by means of a thumb screw 27.

After completion of typing upon the form, the platen is rotated by means of a fingerpiece 28, and the work-web is run up to the gage 25, as shown in Figure 6, whereupon a latch 29, normally holding the platen in registration with the feed-rolls, is released by disengaging a co-operating pin 30, and simultaneously the clamping member 24 is rendered effective to grip the record-web against the table. The platen is then swung upwardly on a rock-shaft 31, to a position shown in Figure 7 to straighten out the web,

which is held against the gage 25 while thecarbon-carrier is pushed backwardly to present the carbons to a fresh portion of the web. As the carbon-carrier is moved to displace the carbons, the record-web is separated from its associatedv plies by means of the slitting knife.

The platen is again lowered to co-operating position with the feed-rolls and the clamping member 24 is forcibly released against a closing spring 32 by the action of the latch 29 striking a lug 33. The clamping member 24 usually includes side arms 34 rockably mounted upon a fixed 'pivot 35. After locking the platen in its normal position, thereby releasing the record-web, the typed forms are torn off against a knife 48 at the delivery side of the platen.

The record-ply is delivered past the bar 13 at the rear end of the extension 13* to permit it to descend by gravity. To prevent the ascending or entering portion of the workweb 11 from coming into collision with the descending record-ply as certain folds of the later swing forwardly about foldlines 37 to lie flat in a receptacle 36, there is provided a refolding or guiding bar device 38 for the record-ply 22. Said refolding bar may consist of a bent wire having side arms 39 designed to straddle the entering web and a cross-piece 40, the arms being bent at the ends thereof, forming lower concave hooks 41 for engaging a cross-bar 13 disposed a short distance below the cross-bar 13, and upper convex hooks or bends 41 to engage around the cross-bar 13.

The cross-piece 40 will preferably be 'oositioned in the rear of the cross-bar 13 a distance equal to or greater than the lengths of the cross-folds of said record-ply. Passing the work-ply 22 downwardly over the cross-piece 40 instead of over the cross-bar 13 is desirable for another reason, where the plies of the webare made of relatively thick paper. In such case, ridge-like formations at the folds 37 in the record-ply would often catch in groove-like formations of the work-web adjacent the cross-bar 13.

According to another form of this invention, illustrated in Figure 8, instead of feeding a unitary web from which the recordweb is separated, a web 42 and a cross-folded continuous record-strip 43 are fed to the ma chine. One of the advantages claimed for this form of the invention is the provision of a more compact record-web and the consequent saving in the length thereof. It is assumed that bill-forms are used having a heading 44, a billing space 45 upon which all the data is typed, and a lower portion or foot 46 upon which printed instructions regarding the disposing of the forms may appear. Often, only the typed items on the bill are required to appear on the record-strip, and, to this end, the record-strip is crossfolded in lengths corresponding to the length of the billing space of the form. In order to handle this class of work, however, a different procedure is followed in the operation of the machine. In the first place the slitting knife is eliminated, and both the statementweb and the record-strip are threaded through the carbons and are then passed around the platen together with the interleaved carbons as a single'pack, the record-strip 43 being led behind the front table over the clamping member 24 in the manner described while the web 42 is passed over the table.

After typing each bill, the platen is rotated carbons are run backwardly tobe presented to a fresh portion of the web and of the record-strip, the platen being subsequently lowered to normal position and the typed form severed in the regular manner against the knife 48. e

In cases where the statement-web crossfolds are spaced a short distance apart, asat the end of each form, and the cross-folds of the record-web are even closer together, and the webs are very flexible, the refolding guide may be omitted. Referring again toFigure 8, it will be noted that the record-strip is delivered out of the machine over the entering strip. In this case. due to the shortness of the folds, it is possible to place the delivering receptacles 49 and 50 slightly out of alignment, the receiving receptacle 51 being located so that the middle portion thereof is in line with the turn in the web about the bar 13.

In order to identify the particular folds of the record-sheet, the record-sheet folds and the bill-forms may be numbered, the numbers being indicated generally by the numeral 52. This is an important feature, especially in the case where a separate record-web is inserted in the machine, as there is no place provided for the name identifying the particular Y transaction.

For clearness in the reading of the drawings, in some of the figures, the lines indicating the bill-forms, the headings and the footings thereof are indicated also by numerals 53,, 54 and 55, respectively, each being shown in the several views where the web is shown.

When a long record-web is to be refolded into a tall work-pack or book according to the present invention, it is .advantageous to have the refolding take place in a bin or box centrally disposed below the refolding guide to guard against the tall stack of cross-folds toppling over, which would prevent further refolding of the record-ply. In order that the record-web may refold properly into the bin, the latter should be positioned a distance below the refolding bar not less than theb lengths of two cross-folds of said recordwe Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An equipment for typing plies of a composite web and producing a typed recordweb in bookform to be readily accessible throughout its length, including the combination with a typewriter-carriage, of a stationary bin or receptacle to contain a main web and the record-web, forming together within said bin a single cross-folded webpack, means including a guide at the rear of the typewriter-carriage to conduct the composite web upwardly from said bin and forwardly to the typing instrumentalities, means at the delivery side of the platen for stripping the typed record-web intact from the main plies of web and feeding said recordweb rearwardly over the incoming main web, and a refolding organization including a bar in the rear of said incoming guide, over which bar said record-web falls, and also including a second stationary receptacle into which the refolded book or pack fits in rear of the first-named bin, said second receptacle receiving the typed record-web as it falls and refolds into a book.

2. In a web-manifolding typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen around which may be fed to typing position a multiple-ply transversely-folded work-web including a record-web drawn from a work-pack at the rear of said machine, means for delivering solely the typed record-web rearwardly over the workweb in the rear of said platen, and a carriage-extension having two spaced cross-rods supported on the rear end of said carriage-extension, one of said cross-rods guiding the entering portion of said work-web forwardly to said platen, of a refolding organization including a guide for directing said recordweb to be cumulatively refolded into a workpack having side members dis osed on either side of said work-web whose ront ends hook over one of said cross-rods and behind the other cross-rod, and an integral cross-piece disposed a distance to the rear of the entering portion of said work-web for guiding said record-web past said work-web without binding the latter at said cross-rods, and to permit said record-web to swing back and forth as it is refolded without colliding with said work-web.

3. In a manifolding typewriting machine having a carriage and a platen, around which may be fed a multiple-ply work-web with interleaved carbons, including a main web and a cross-folded record-web which is disposed next to the platen, said machine also including a knife for severing the typed forms one by one from the main web, and means for effecting relative stripping or shifting between the web and an interleaved inking device, the combination of means upon the carriage in advance of said knife for separating the record-web from the main web, so as not to be severed therewith, said separating means including a table extending up from the delivery side of the platen for supporting to form a book, said outrigger being at a,

height to accommodate the edgewise movement' of the upper portion of the dangling web with the carriage, while the lower end is stationary at the book.

4. In a typewriting machine having a platen mounted on a carriage and a rear carriage traveling with said platen-carriage, the combination with a web-guiding cross-bar upon the rear extremity of said rear carriage, of a pair of spaced side members hooked over said cross-bar to be supported thereby, and a cross-piece connecting the side mem- Eers in a position spaced beyond said cross- 5. In a typewriting machine having a platen mounted on a carriage and a rear carriage traveling with said platen-carriage, the combination with a web-guiding crossbar on the rear extremity of said rear carriage, of an outrigger in rear of said crossbar in position to straddle an ascending web entering over said cross-bar toward said platen, and having means to direct a returning web-ply over and past said entering web, and in position to permit said web-ply to fall and form itself into a bookupon a suitable support. I?

JESSE A. B. SMITH. 

